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Stained glass artist Russell Joy creates unique pieces

Russell Joy has been creating custom stained glass windows for churches, businesses and individuals in the area for more than 30 years. He lives and works in Oak Grove. In one of the side windows at Risen Savior Lutheran Church in Basehor, Kan., Jesus is not portrayed with a stern expression usually seen.
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Russell Joy has been creating custom stained glass windows for churches, businesses and individuals in the area for more than 30 years. At Rolling Hills Presbyterian Church in Overland Park, Joy looks at the abstract pieces he created for them, which he hadn't seen in a while. Some featured specialized glass.
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At Rolling Hills Presbyterian Church in Overland Park, Russell Joy created a pair of windows themed "All Creatures Great and Small" for the chapel. Joy pointed out that these happened to be artificially lit.
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At Rolling Hills Presbyterian Church in Overland Park, Russell Joy created a pair of windows themed "All Creatures Great and Small" for the chapel. Joy pointed out that these happened to be artificially lit. In this one, the pastor's Weimaraner is depicted among the animals. Joy pointed out that these happened to be artificially lit.
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Russell Joy said this piece, with doves, is his favorite at Spirit of Hope MCC, 3801 Wyandotte.
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Russell Joy has been creating custom stained glass windows for churches, businesses and individuals in the area for more than 30 years.At Spirit of Hope MCC, 3801 Wyandotte, angels are depicted in four different ethnicities. Two of the four are shown.
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At Spirit of Hope MCC, 3801 Wyandotte, Russell Joy has created angels in four different ethnicities. Two of the four are shown.
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In his Oak Grove studio, Russell Joy demonstrates how he paints on the glass.
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Russell Joy has been creating custom stained glass windows for churches, businesses and individuals in the area for more than 30 years. He lives and works in Oak Grove. Joy has been working to finish large windows (drawing is standing upright in a black frame, left) for Risen Savior Lutheran Church in Basehor. He cuts patterns near pieces of glass laid out for the windows as his partner Roger McDougle watches.
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In his studio, Joy demonstrates how he paints on the glass using the drawing below, called a cartoon.
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Joy has been working to finish large windows for Risen Savior Lutheran Church in Basehor. Patterns are cut from this type of drawing, called a cartoon.
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Using natural light from a door, Joy shows a piece of a specialized glass called "streaky glass" in his studio.
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Russell Joy lives and works in Oak Grove. Joy shows how pieces of stained glass are stored in cubicles, ready for use in his studio.
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Russell created the eucharist-themed stained glass in the chapel of Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Olathe.
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Russell Joy created the stained glass in the adoration chapel of Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Olathe, including the Jesus - Sacred Heart window (left).
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Russell Joy has been creating custom stained glass windows for churches, businesses and individuals in the area for more than 30 years. He lives and works in Oak Grove. A dominant image of Jesus that he created rises above the altar at Spirit of Hope MCC, 3801 Wyandotte.
| The Kansas City Star

A dominant image of Jesus created by Russell Joy rises above the altar at Spirit of Hope MCC, 3801 Wyandotte.
| The Kansas City Star

Russell Joy has been creating custom stained glass windows for churches, businesses and individuals in the area for more than 30 years. He lives and works in Oak Grove. Rolling Hills Presbyterian Church in Overland Park chose to have non-traditional, abstract stained glass windows - yet they are still religiously themed. At left, Parable of the Two Ways; at right, Parable of the House Built on the Rock, both from Matthew.
| The Kansas City Star

Rolling Hills Presbyterian Church in Overland Park chose to have non-traditional, abstract stained glass windows - yet they are still religiously themed. This one is Parable of the Two Ways from Matthew, created by Russell Joy.
| The Kansas City Star

Russell Joy created stained glass pieces for Rolling Hills Presbyterian Church in Overland Park when they chose to have non-traditional, abstract stained glass windows - yet with a religious theme. This one is Parable of the House Built on the Rock from Matthew.
| The Kansas City Star

Russell Joy created stained glass windows for Rolling Hills Presbyterian Church in Overland Park.
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Russell Joy created this modern-style work "Lord of the Dance", which can be seen in an alcove at Rolling Hills Presbyterian Church in Overland Park.
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Russell Joy created a eucharist-themed stained glass in the chapel of Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Olathe. A detail shows a fish and loaves of bread.
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Russell Joy's attention to detail and realistic painting can be seen in the Jesus - Sacred Heart window in the adoration chapel of Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Olathe. Joy said he's learned how to get facial features, which will be viewed from far away, look realistic. He pointed out that when viewed up close, they can look rougher.
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Russell Joy's attention to detail and realistic painting can be seen in the faces of this window detail in the sanctuary of Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Olathe. Joy said he thought he "did pretty well" with Mary. He said he's learned how to get facial features, which will be viewed from far away, to look realistic.
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One of several side windows in the sanctuary of Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Olathe features Mary as Queen of Heaven. Despite a wide structural piece running through the center of the window which would normally divide the scene depicted, Russell Joy managed to unify the scene by using a circle - inspired by a circle element in a prominent window in the front of the church, further unifying elements of the entire church.
| The Kansas City Star

Russell Joy’s stained glass work rises above the altar at Risen Savior Lutheran Church in Basehor, Kan.
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Russell Joy has been creating custom stained glass windows for churches, businesses and individuals in the area for more than 30 years. He lives and works in Oak Grove. His work rises above the altar at Risen Savior Lutheran Church in Basehor, Kan.
| The Kansas City Star

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